Pittsburgh, PA

Before I forget, there are a couple of announcements and reminders I wanted to make before I continued posting bios for Women’s History Month.

First off, the Mueck exhibit at the Andy Warhol Museum is closing this Sunday and I’ve heard it’s something you don’t want to miss.

Ron Mueck is most known for his gigantic sculptures, which feature realistic looking people doing various things, but in enormous proportions. The exhibit at the Warhol includes, In Bed, Spooning Couple, A Girl, Wild Man, Man in a Boat, Mask II and Mask II. You can visit the Warhol’s website to see more detailed descriptions.

The Warhol’s hours are as follows:

Saturday & Sunday, Tuesday-Thursday: 10am-5pm
Friday: 10am-10pm
Closed Mondays

Admission:

Adults: $15
Senior Citizens: $9
Students & Children (3-18): $8
Good Fridays: Half price bet. 5-10pm

The Warhol Museum is located at 117 Sandusky Street on the North Shore.
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Also, I wanted to remind everyone that the City Salon deadline is tomorrow. I posted information on the project in the beginning the month here. For more information on the City Salon, visit the Academy of the South Side’s website.

There is also an arts and crafts expo going on this weekend at the Expo Mart in Monroeville featuring over 180 booths. Visit their website for more information on vendors, hours and more.

And last, but not least I wanted to let everyone know of a poetry reading that is taking place Friday at 7:30 at the ARTspace and Coffeehouse in Point Breeze. I learned of the poet Anita Gevauden Byerly on WYEP the other night and really enjoyed her poetry so I thought I’d pass the information along. Admission is free and there will be signings of her latest chapbook, October Light. I wish I could go!

Pittsburgh, Ron Mueck, Warhol Museum, City Salon, Academy of the South Side, Expo Mart, arts, crafts, October Light, Anita G. Byerly, poetry

The Pittsburgh women showcased today are not in a traditional sense from Pittsburgh; Willa Cather moved here from Nebraska in 1895 and Gertrude Stein left the city shortly after birth, but that does not make either of them less of a local as far as history is concerned.

“The fact that I was a girl never damaged my ambitions to be a pope or an emperor.” -Willa Cather

Willa Cather moved to Pittsburgh in 1895 where she felt she could enjoy our music and intellectual culture. In Pittsburgh she supported herself by becoming a high school teacher and journalist. In 1922 she won the Pulitizer prize for One of Ours, and is also notable for her novels and short stories, which include My Antonia, O Pioneers, Death Comes for the Archbishop and The Professors House. Cather considered Pittsburgh to be the “birthplace” of her writing career and if you research the amount of literature written during her lifetime you can see that this is true.

For more information on Willa Cather, refer to the websites I used for this bio at the Carnegie Library’s website and the Outlaw Women website.

“But the problem is that when I go around and speak on campuses, I still don’t get young men standing up and saying, ‘How can I combine career and family?’” -Gertrude Stein

Gertrude Stein was born in 1874 in her Pittsburgh home in the North Side. She was to leave the city shortly after her birth, but we still celebrate her hometown with a plaque on her former home at 850 Beech Avenue.

Stein is most famous for her experimental literature and her private art gallery/salon located in Paris, where she moved to in 1903. She had a wide circle of friends, including Ernest Hemingway, Pablo Picasso, Matisse and Thornton Wilder. Her most famous works include Tender Buttons, The Making of Americans and the Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas.

Please visit the Carnegie Library’s website for more information on Stein’s life in Pittsburgh.

For more information on this series, visit my previous post here.

Pittsburgh, Willa Cather, Gertrude Stein, Women’s History Month

“The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us, the less taste we shall have for destruction.” -Rachel Carson

As a quick reminder, instead of highlighting the events going on around the city for Women’s History month, I’ve decided to feature the bios of local women I admire all this week. First up on the list is Rachel Carson, a woman I have admired since I learned of her in elementary school. She was born in Springdale, which is a town very close to where I grew up, so she’s sort of a local celebrity despite a lot of people misunderstanding her work or not knowing who she is, which is sad.

Rachel Carson was born May 27, 1907 in Springdale, PA in a simple farmhouse. As a child, she was very curious about nature and was even published in a children’s magazine at age 10. She went on to pursue her studies in writing and later, biology at the Pennsylvania College for Women, which would later turn into Chatham College and eventually Chatham University. During a summer fellowship she was to visit the ocean for the first time, which would result in many things, namely her decision to become a marine biologist. At the end of her undegraduate studies, she was awarded a scholarship by John Hopkins University to finish her education, which was a major achievement for a woman during this era.

After completing her education, Carson began her career working for the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries in Maryland, where she wrote radio segments and articles to local newspapers urging them to regulate “the forces of destruction” and other problems she encountered working for the Bureau. After 15 years of working for them, she became chief editor of all publications published by the Bureau.

She continued to write poetry and articles on her own; her most famous piece of work being Silent Spring, a book which is thought to be the catalyst for the environmental movement. In her book she outlined the dangers of chemical pesticides and other environmental issues. Her work encouraged the passing of certain legislation, which is still being used today.

Rachel Carson died April 14, 1964 in her home in Silver Spring, MD. She posthumously received the Presidential Medal Freedom, the highest civilian award a person can receive from the nation. You can learn how to visit the Rachel Carson Homestead by going to their website here.

For more information on Rachel Carson check out the following books and websites:

The Life and Legacy of Rachel Carson

Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge

Women in History: Rachel Carson

Silent Spring by Rachel Carson

The Edge of the Sea by Rachel Carson

Lost Woods: The Discovered Writing of Rachel Carson by Rachel Carson and Linda Lear

Above picture courtesy of Lear/Carson Collection, Connecticut College, found here. All biography information was taken from the above mentioned websites.

Please read yesterday’s post for more information on this series. If anyone would like to recommend any famous Pittsburgh women, please let me know!

Pittsburgh, Women’s History Month, Rachel Carson, environmentalism

Yes we can, even if Pittsburgh doesn’t celebrate this month as thoroughly as I would have liked. I scoured the web for events happening in Pittsburgh and although there were some lectures at local colleges, there really wasn’t much to speak of in terms of celebrating the achievements of women, especially those local to our region. So instead of listing the maybe two events still going on in the area, I’ve decided that this week I’m going to post the histories of local women I admire in honor of Women’s History Month.

In the meantime I found a list of films the Carnegie Library has recommended renting for this month and here they are:

Secrets of the Dead: Amazon Warrior Women
Around the World in 72 Days
The Execution of Wanda Jean
Fly Girls
Home of the Brave
Jane Goodall: Reason for Hope
Missing Peace: Women of Faith and the Failure of War
Our Times
The Secret Life of Geisha
Sisters of Selma: Bearing Witness for Change

These films are a great idea, but if you’re a woman, becoming the sort of woman you’d respect is an even better idea. The women who are going to be spoken of in this blog went forward with their plans regardless of their sex and this is something we can all admire.

I should also say that being the editor of a magazine, I am constantly flooded with literary submissions and have noticed the overwhelming majority tend to be males. Now I know this is not due to some gene that makes men better writers or artists or essayists, but could be due to the fact that some women are afraid to put themselves out there. I try to encourage women the best I can by promoting my magazine to them in the hopes they’ll submit work and some actually do so that’s nice. Here’s my post on what I do with the magazine and if you wish to visit the site go here.

Pittsburgh, Women’s History Month, Carnegie Library, Debris Magazine

Future Tenant is holding it’s annual fundraiser, Pay it Forward at Your Inner Vagabond this Friday, March 21st, which is a great way to support local artists!

There will be a wide variety of entertainment, including belly dancing and music provided by Otantik, HerBow, and Pandemic, who will be mixing world dance music. There will also be prize drawings for artwork and items from local businesses. Food and drink will be provided by Your Inner Vagabond and other local restaurants.

Tickets are $40 for regular admission and $25 for students and those aged 21-25. Tickets can be purchased in advance at Your Inner Vagabond and at ProArtsTickets.org. All tickets purchased at the door will be $40, so it’s a good idea to buy them in advance if you’re a student.

Ticket proceeds go towards a good cause and will benefit artists, performers and curators who are showcased at Future Tenant. Future Tenant is located in the Cultural District and is operated by CMU grad students in the Arts Management program.

Your Inner Vagabond is located at 4130 Butler Street in Lawrenceville and for more information on this great coffeehouse and lounge, visit their website here.

Also going on this weekend is the Steel City Derby Demons season opener this Saturday! The event will feature the Hot Metal Hellions and the Wrecking Dolls. If you have never been to a roller derby outing, this is a great time to start.

Doors open at 5:30 pm, events starting at 6:30. Tickets can be purchased in advance here for $10 and are $15 at the door. The event is being held at Bladerunners in Harmarville, which is north on Rt. 28. For more information on the Derby Demons and their upcoming events, visit their website here.

Have a great weekend everyone and don’t forget to check out the NCECA exhibits going on as well!

Pittsburgh, roller derby, Steel City Derby Demons, Bladerunners, Future Tenant, Inner Vagabond, art, Lawrenceville

So by some strange sort of coincidence, it was St. Patrick’s Day Monday, it’s going to be the first day of Spring tomorrow and of course Easter is Sunday. Wow, what a festive week this time of year!

I especially like that it’s going to be Spring soon and with all the rain, it sure feels like it. So to celebrate this time of year, I suggest going to see the Spring Flower Show at Phipps Conservatory!

Here’s all the info you’ll need, straight from Phipp’s:

Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens is proud to announce the return of its glorious flower shows! The Spring Flower Show opens Saturday, March 15, 2008, featuring the bright, vibrant blooms and creative design that make Phipps a leader in horticultural display, and a great place to escape the lingering Pittsburgh winter.

This year’s show is traditional and elegant, and visitors will see the Conservatory transformed into a showcase of color and containers. Featuring garden adornments such as pedestals, urns, fountains and statuary, the Spring Flower Show promises to be an eye-catching event. Visitors can stroll through Phipps’ lush rooms and experience the majesty of the Spring Flower Show as the flowers make a triumphant comeback.

Visitors will delight in spring flower favorites, such as lily-flowering tulips, snapdragons, cineraria, hydrangea, cyclamen, delphinium and more. Other special features include a fountain in the Palm Court, cascading waterfalls, a chess board of snappy color combinations, stunning Greek-inspired columns and planters, as well as visitor favorites, like large hanging baskets full of color and the interactive fountain in the Victoria Room.

The Spring Flower Show opens Saturday, March 15 and runs through Sunday, April 13, 2008. Timed-ticketing is no longer required, but visitors may purchase advance passes on Phipps’ website here.

Phipp’s is located at 1 Schenley Park and is open daily from 9:30am-5pm M-F and until 10pm on Fridays. Tickets are $10 for adults, $9 for students/senior citizens and $7 for children ages 2-18.

Don’t forget to visit the Wee Beasties exhibit at Zombo Gallery as well!

Pittsburgh, Oakland, Phipp’s Conservatory, spring flowers, spring

The above statement was definitely true this weekend, as everyone seems to like an excuse to drink too much and get rowdy. Although the Irish have this reputation, there are a lot of other things to consider about them on St. Patrick’s Day.

First off, St. Patrick may not have even been from Ireland, but Scotland and second, he was responsible for bringing Christianity to the pagans, which is the main reason we celebrate him on this fine Monday. Most people don’t consider our take on this holiday to be a bit hypocritical or the fulfillment of stupid stereotypes, but anyways…since I’m Irish, I’m going to share some of my favorite Irish recipes with you instead, since they also have great food!

Irish Potato Pie

6-8 potatoes, peeled
6 bacon strips
3-4 leeks
salt and pepper to taste
one cup grated Cheddar cheese

Makes 6 servings

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Cook the potatoes in boiling water until tender. Drain.

In a skillet, fry bacon until crisp and drain well on paper towels.

Trim leeks so that you have the white part and a small amount of green. Wash well, and slice thinly. Add leeks to skillet and sauté over medium heat until soft.

Slice the boiled potatoes, and arrange half in the bottom of a pie plate. Season with salt and pepper. Layer with bacon, leeks and one half of the cheese. Cover with remaining with remaining potatoes and season again. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for 30 minutes or until top is browned and cheese is melted.

Dublin Coddle

Apple Mash

Steak and Guinness Pie

And for those of you who like to drink, here’s my favorite toast:

“May your glass be ever full.
May the roof over your head be always strong.
And may you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you’re dead.”

A great way to work off all of these meals is to head on over to the Harp and Fiddle bar/restaurant on Tuesday nights for their Ceili Dancing, which begins at 7pm. You can also enroll yourself in the School of Irish Dance here.

And of course, don’t forget to check out the NCECA events going on this week!

Whether you celebrate today for religious reasons, to celebrate your love of alcohol or because you’re proud of your Irish heritage, Happy St. Patrick’s Day everyone!

Pittsburgh, St. Patrick’s Day, recipes, Harp and Fiddle, Strip District, food, dancing, Bell School

Zombo Gallery is presenting another great exhibit; this time by local artist Nathan Mazur, who has created neat, little pieces of art. Check out the release below for more information:

“Wee Beasties: Miniature Paintings of Nature’s Tiniest Denizens”

Zombo Gallery, Pittsburgh’s home for hip lowbrow art, announces the first solo exhibit by local artist Nathan Mazur; Wee Beasties: Miniature Paintings of Nature’s Tiniest Denizens, opening March 14th, 2008.

Wee Beasties is an exhibit of over 3-dozen miniature paintings (2” by 2.75”) of insects, worms, and other creepy crawlies. They depict everything from the common cockroach, to the cryptic water bear, all in the artist’s seemingly innocent, saccharine-colored, cartoon style.

While browsing through an art supply store, local cartoonist and animator, Nathan Mazur, came upon some tiny canvases about the size of a Zippo lighter. Though meant as a novelty item, he purchased a few and used them to paint cartoony, life-sized pictures of bugs. After casually mentioning the pint-sized portraits to local artist, Wayno, Nathan Mazur was introduced to Michael Devine, owner of the Zombo Gallery in Lawrenceville. Since opening the previous summer, the Zombo Gallery has built a reputation for exhibiting the cool, kitschy and the strange… the perfect fit for the artist’s skewed invertebrate subjects.

Nathan Mazur is a cartoonist and animator from western PA. His work has been described as everything from cute and funny, to somewhat unnerving. His clients include American Greetings, Carnegie Mellon University, Disney Television as well as other smaller companies, independent filmmakers, and private commissions. He is a member of the Pittsburgh Society of Illustrators and serves on the advisory board for The Toonseum, Pittsburgh’s museum of cartoon art. To find out more about Nathan Mazur’s work, please visit www.scaredofbees.com.

Wee Beasties runs from March 14th through April 5th, 2008 at the Zombo Gallery, located at 4900 Hatfield St. in Lawrenceville. The gallery hours are Fridays, 5pm-7:30pm. Additional hours by appointment. For more information on Zombo Gallery, please call 412-904-3703.

Oh and make sure you check out yesterday’s post if you’re an artist or photographer who would like to get their name out in Pittsburgh!

And of course, the easiest way to do that is to submit work to my magazine here.

Pittsburgh, Zombo Gallery, Nathan Mazur, Wee Beasties, Lawrenceville, art

The Academy of the South Side is putting out a call for artists and there is a call for photographers that I’d like to mention too.

The Academy of the South Side is doing a “Citywide Salon” as part of the Pittsburgh 250 celebrations. The Citywide Salon will be a month long showcase of local art, with up to 20 artists’ work being displayed in bus kiosks around the city. Sounds like a neat idea! The deadline for submissions is March 28th, so without delay, straight from their website is more information:

The mission of The Academy is to be a resource for painting and drawing, and for CITYWIDE SALON we are seeking artists to submit up to 5 works to be selected by a panel of judges for this highly visible month-long showcase. While there is no specific theme that will unify the selections, preference will be given to representational work. CITYWIDE SALON will be a celebration of artists from all over the Pittsburgh region, and we specifically encourage artists representing the neighborhoods of South Side, Oakland, Shadyside, Bloomfield, Lawrenceville, the Strip District, and Downtown to submit, as those are the neighborhoods we will target for the locations of the bus panels.

We ask that artists submit a Jpeg, TIFF, or PDF image of their work no later than March 28th, 2008. The jury process will take place in April, and the selected artists will be announced in the middle of the month. After the announcement, the selected artists will be responsible for submitting a high-resolution image of their work. Exact printing specifications for the panels can be found below. Please keep in mind the vertical orientation of the panels, as well as the final layout proportion of approximately 7.2 inches high by 5 inches wide. We will have 2 templates that will be used for the bus panels: one that places the text and sponsoring organizations’ logos as a header and footer to the ad, and one that incorporates these elements into the composition, allowing for a larger image. Artists are encouraged to submit a very brief description of themselves (3 - 5 words, e.g. “South Side Oil Painter”), as well as a website and/or contact information for inclusion on the panels. It is worth noting that large black areas tend to not retain their proper color due to light shining through the poster.

On Saturday, July 19, we will hold a finale event at the Brew House where artists will have an opportunity to display their original submission. Artists will also be able to keep the poster that is used in the bus kiosk for future promotional efforts. This is a great opportunity for artists to get widespread exposure throughout the city, participate in an exciting show, and to keep a large poster of their work for future promotional efforts and to commemorate their involvement in CITYWIDE SALON and Pittsburgh 250!

For more information, visit the Academy’s website here.

Another neat idea is John Bodnar’s Good vs. Evil photography show that will be held at the Creative Treehouse on May 17th.

All participants for this event will have to choose a side to represent. Photographs can be in any subject matter, whether you choose to work with images in religion, morality, ethics, elements….your representation of the side you pick!

There is a lot of room with this to be highly creative and experimental in your works.

If interested in participating, please email John at jbodnar@gmail.com.

Good luck everybody!

Also please check out my magazine’s new featured content. You will not be disappointed and I think everyone needs to see Jennifer Maria’s photos of Florida after the weather we’ve been having here. Go here to see my previous post.

Pittsburgh, Academy of the South Side, South Side, drawing, art, Citywide Salon, photography, Good vs Evil, Creative Treehouse, Bellevue, Debris Magazine

There’s still room to reserve a seat for Dr. Sketchy’s Pies, Pirates and Piraro event so hurry up and reserve one now! Here’s all the information you’ll need on the event and about Dr. Sketchy’s school in general.

According to Dr. Sketchy’s site:

On March 14th, 8;00 PM, Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School Pittsburgh will celebrate Pi Day (3.14) with nationally acclaimed creator of the comic Bizarro, and Pie aficionado, Dan Piraro.
Dan will be emceeing the lively burlesque life drawing session with his own unique brand of comedy and cartoons. Dr. Sketchy will pay tribute to Dan’s iconic use of pies in his comic by celebrating “Pi Day” with Pies, Pirates and Piraro! This is his first time hosting a Dr. Sketchy event anywhere!

When many artists think “life drawing,” they think of sterile rooms, bad lighting, and bored, silent, models with nary a hint of personality. Dr. Sketchy’s Anti Art School has changed all that. Dr. Sketchy’s models will don pirate garb, as cartoonists, illustrators, painters and artist of all kinds sketch, drink, and play outrageous games befitting Dr. Sketchy’s irreverent atmosphere.

For those of you unfamiliar with Dr. Sketchy’s, it’s a ’school’ with themed sketch nights ranging from Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves to their Valentine’s Day themed night, Love and Hate. Dr. Sketchy’s Anti Art School was started by Molly Crabapple in New York in 2005 and has spread nationwide since then.

For a small donation, you can sketch exotic models, play games and eat vegan snacks and drink (if you’re 21 of course). The money goes towards supporting the ToonSeum Gallery, a show place for cartoon art. Dr. Sketchy’s is one of the many projects supported in part by the Sprout Fund, who are doing wonderful things for Pittsburgh every year.

To attend you must be 18 and you should also bring paper and any other art supplies you may need. The event is being held at the Brew House in the South Side at 2100 Mary Street and starts at 8pm.

For more information, visit Dr. Sketchy in Pittsburgh’s Myspace here, where you can also reserve your seat. Dr. Sketchy’s is a regularly occurring event, so even if you miss this one, make sure you attend another session!

Also, don’t forget to check out the PCA art shows that are closing this weekend. Refer here for more information.

Pittsburgh, Dr. Sketchy’s, Dan Pirarro, pirates, Brew House, art, sketching, South Side

The artist Wayno is having a neat exhibit at the Gypsy Cafe featuring the Chinese Zodiac and I thought I’d spread the word. I’ve been meaning to go the Gypsy Cafe for awhile, so I definitely think this is my excuse to go. I may even write a review of the cafe; I really need to start doing those!

Press Release:
Following Squaresville, last summer’s sold-out art show at Zombo Gallery in Lawrenceville, local artist Wayno returns with his latest exhibit, Animalia Astrologica: The Chinese Zodiac, opening February 5, 2008 at the Gypsy Café on the South Side.

Animalia Astrologica is a series of twelve paintings, representing the animal signs of the traditional Chinese zodiac.

Late last year, Gypsy Café owner Melanie Evankovich invited Wayno to show some of his work in her funky, Mediterranean-inspired restaurant, and the two collaborated to develop a theme appropriate to the space. “When we settled on an early February date for the opening, I immediately thought of Chinese New Year,” said the artist. “It seemed to fit with the Café’s irreverent mystical vibe.” Evankovich agreed, saying, “We have a Tarot card reader here twice a week, and the Year of the Rat begins on February 7, so when Wayno suggested a set of astrological pictures, I knew we had the perfect motif.”

The paintings, in Wayno’s distinctive cartoon pop style, use a limited palate consisting mainly of the traditional red and gold colors of the Chinese New Year. The animals depicted are anything but traditional – they’re shown behaving like Westerners at New Year’s time. We see a snake drinking champagne, pigs kissing at midnight, a dragon with a hangover, and an ox making a list of resolutions.

Wayno is a cartoonist, illustrator, and writer based in Pittsburgh. His clients include The New Yorker, Nickelodeon Magazine, Rhino Records, McGraw-Hill Books, Entertainment Weekly, The Guardian, Pittsburgh City Paper, Table, and The New York Times. He is a member of the National Cartoonists Society and the Pittsburgh Society of Illustrators, and is a founding board member of the ToonSeum, Pittsburgh’s museum of the cartoon arts.

Animalia Astrologica runs from February 5 through March 30, 2008 at the Gypsy Café, located at 1330 Bingham Street on the South Side. The café is open for lunch Tuesday through Friday, and for dinner Tuesday through Sunday. Complete restaurant hours are posted at www.gypsycafe.net

For additional information, call the Gypsy Café at 412-381-4977.

To get a sneak preview of Wayno’s work, visit his website here.

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Just thought I’d remind everyone that there is going to be a lunar eclipse tomorrow night!

For more information on the eclipse and where you can view it around the world, visit NASA’s website here.

Speaking of all around the world, check out the World Traveler blog here. I’m going to be creating a similar website soon, so keep an eye out!

Pittsburgh, Wayno, Chinese Zodiac, Gypsy Cafe, art, lunar eclipse, nasa, travel

Tonight at Belvedere’s is the fifth annual Galactic AssDragon Classic, a battle of electronic music with the winner coming out with a 7 inch single pressed by the No Room for Talent label. There will be a panel of judges judging a wide variety of electronic sounds, from the screeching to the heart stopping bass coming out of anything from labtops to microphones to anything else the entrants have thought up.

Speaking of which, this year’s performers include Deepwinter, Statas, Mike and Ike Jones, Vasculator, Cockmongler, Doverspike and more! Be prepared for crazy stints by Mike and Ike and dead baby props by Doverspike.

The event starts at 9 and only costs $3 for a whole night’s worth of crazy entertainment. This really is a one of its kind event; trust me I know from last year. One word of advice, you may want to bring ear plugs!

Belvedere’s is located at 4016 Butler Street in Lawrenceville.

Also, this weekend is the South Side’s Mid-Winter Soup Contest presented by Iron and Glass Bank. The event is Saturday from 12-3pm and is a wonderful way to sample local soups and provide food for the needy for months.

A $5 donation and a can of soup will get you a map of the South Side and all of the participating restaurants, where you can sample soups galore.

Participants will need to register at one of these three locations:
The Brashear Association, 2005 Sarah St
SouthSide Works, 2629 E. Carson St
91.3fm WYEP FM, 12th & Bingham Streets

For more information, visit WYEP’s website here.

I should also remind everyone that tonight is the 15th annual Guinness Toast, so all of you Guinness lovers should be excited about this one! There are too many participating bars to possibly list them all, but some of my favorites who will be toasting include, 1311 in the S. Side, Bloomfield Bridge Tavern, Buckhead Saloon in Station Square, Caseys, Fatheads and Smokin’ Joes also in the S. Side and the Do Drop Inn if you’re out in my hometown, Natrona Heights. If you’re interested, I suggest visiting your favorite bar’s website (if they have one) and see if they are participating and if not, drink your Guinness anyways. Who needs an event to do that?!

And last, but not least the Fun A Day show is this Saturday at the Spare Room and will showcase everyone’s hard work this past month. For more information on this event, visit my previous post and/or their website.

Spare Room is located at 3923 1/2 Mintwood Street in Lawrenceville.

It looks like I’ll be in Lawrenceville all weekend, hope everyone has a fun weekend!

Pittsburgh, Galactic AssDragon Classic, Belvedere’s, Lawrenceville, music, Mike and Ike Jones, Doverspike, Fun a Day, Spare Room, art, Guinness Toast

So I’m sure in a couple of hours, men and women everywhere will be rushing around to get last-minute flowers and candy for their significant others and even the most wilted flowers will find a home tonight. However, Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be about mass consumerism and can be more about love as it was intended. I know I never really cared about expensive gifts or fancy dinners, although they never hurt! But just spending time with someone you love and showing your appreciation for them does wonders for a relationship.

If all else fails, you can always bake cookies! There’s a great sugar cookie recipe over at the Austin, TX blog here.

And just because you’re single, does not mean you can’t celebrate today. I know it’s a hard day for many who feel unloved, but I suggest for those of you in this situation, that you show someone else love today and I promise, it will eventually be shown to you. <3

And who says Valentine’s Day has to spent with your significant other? Why don’t you take your friends out for some drinks or dinner or even your mom for goodness sakes?!

Besides the usual dinner and drinks, here’s some alternatives for the occasion:

Hustlebot @ Modern Formations Gallery in Garfield

Hustlebot is a local improv group that will be performing tonight at Modern Formations and is a humerous way to spend this otherwise sappy holiday. The show starts at 8pm and costs $5.

The Gallery is located at 4919 Penn Avenue in Garfield.

Battle of the Sexes @ Shootz Cafe in the South Side

If you feel like having a competitive Valentine’s Day, why don’t you head to Shootz and compete with the opposite sex in pool, ping pong, trivia, darts and air hockey? Sounds like a good time to me!

Shootz is located at 2305 E. Carson by the Birmingham Bridge.

Lisdoonvarna Irish Matchmaking Festival @ Harp and Fiddle in the Strip

If you don’t have anyone to celebrate with today, you can always check out Harp and Fiddle’s annual Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival. It’ll be held this Saturday starting at 8pm. Singles will receive a free prize pack and festivities for the night will include, karaoke, games, matchmaking (of course) and specialty drinks. According the Harp and Fiddle website, over 70 couples have met at this affair in the past 15 years. Not bad!

And just in case, no one has said this to you yet:

Hope everyone has a fun Valentine’s Day and remember, you don’t have to be in love with someone to celebrate love today!

Pittsburgh, Valentine’s Day, Shootz, Harp and Fiddle, Matchmaking Festival, Strip District, Garfield, Modern Formations, Hustlebot, improv

It’s snowing like crazy out there, so if you’re snowed in and bored, check out the Winter issue of my literary/art magazine. It’s online only, so go here to see it.

Debris Magazine features a wide variety of talent from all over the world, as well as right here in Pittsburgh. The magazine aims to be the antithesis of stuffy lit journals and pretentious art magazines.

The magazine is quarterly, but showcases a featured artist and photographer monthly, so check back often!

And even though the featured artist and photographer are not from Pittsburgh this month, check out their work as well! Speaking of which, I know there are a ton of local artists and photographers that are good at what they do, so please contact me! Debris is not a Pittsburgh magazine, but it is based in Pittsburgh, so I’d like to showcase as much local talent as possible.

Debris is currently accepting submissions for the Spring issue, in the form of short stories, poetry/prose, reviews and travel writing. Any feedback on the Winter issue would be greatly appreciated as well.

Debris is also looking for advertisers to help pay for an eventual print edition of the magazine and advertising is in the form of banners on the front page. Please contact me at editor@debrismagazine.com for more information.

If the magazine is not enough to entertain you, check out the Rusty Bridge website here. You can find out about other Pittsburgh events I may not cover on the blog, as well as articles on art, technology and Pittsburgh culture.

Oh and here’s a quick reminder that the Chihuly exhibit at Phipps is closing February 23rd, so catch it while you can!

Pittsburgh, Debris Magazine, art, writing, culture, Rusty Bridge, technology, Chihuly

Head out to the I Made It! Mine craftshow this Saturday at the Union Project in Highland Park. As always you’ll find a wide assortment of crafts, clothing and household accessories and this time, you’ll also be able to check out the Union Project as well.

The Union Project involves an effort on the part of its members to bring together the surrounding neighborhoods and to promote creativity, diversity and togetherness. Their mission statement is as follows:

The Union Project serves as a highly visible catalyst for neighborhood redevelopment and historic preservation on a large scale – and will develop the hearts, minds and skills of community members along with the physical space. The Union Project represents the best of Pittsburgh’s creative thinking, action and investment. This community-supported project will only exponentially increase its impact as funds are raised and capital work is completed to transform and reuse this important building.

I’ve been wanting to check out this building/project for awhile now, so it looks like I just got my chance!

The Union Project is located at 801 N. Negley and I Made It! is from 12-5. For more information on the craftshow go here and for more information on the Union Project, visit their website here.

This weekend also brings the Associated Artist show, which features 97 works from 66 artists from the area. It’s in celebration of Pittsburgh 250 and is being held at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts in Shadyside. The reception is this Friday from 5:30-8pm, however future viewings will be possible up until March 9th.

The exhibit is located at the Marshall building which is at 6300 Fifth Avenue. For more information, visit the Associated Artist site here, as well as the Pittsburgh Galleries site for other local art events.

And if these two events don’t keep you busy this weekend, you can always go see the Vagina Monologues at the City Theater! For more information, visit last week’s post on the play here.

Pittsburgh, I Made It!, craft show, Union Project, crafts, Highland Park, Associated Artists, Pittsburgh Galleries, Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, Shadyside, art